If you fail when trying a new dish, what would you do?

@banban (601)
China
October 5, 2010 10:45pm CST
Hi, there. The day before yesterday, I tried to make a new dish and wanted it to be a tasty, brand new food for my family. Sadly, it turned out to be a failure. It didn't taste that good I expected. So, I kinds of be a little bit sad and I don't know whether I should try it again, you see, I'm afraid to fail it once again. What would you do if you are in such a situation? You will try it some time later, or just give it up?
3 people like this
23 responses
@NoWayRo (1061)
• Romania
6 Oct 10
Don't worry, banban, I've failed dozens of dishes, until I managed to get them right :) Truth is, if I can figure out what I did wrong, I give up. In most cases, though, it's easy to figure what went wrong (I didn't have the right ingredients, or the right quantities, or the I over-cooked it, stuff like that). Here's what I do, maybe it helps: I search the Internet for more recipes of the same dish, especially those that have pictures, or videos. Easier to follow. Sometimes I post my questions on cooking forums, a lot of people are eager to help. If I know a restaurant where that dish is particularly good, I go and ask the cook there. It's surprising how many are willing to share their "secrets". Better luck next time! (luck is also an essential ingredient :) )
2 people like this
@banban (601)
• China
6 Oct 10
Many thanks, NoWayRo. Your reply really help me.
@nicococo (134)
6 Oct 10
Do not be discouraged! I am a self-taught cook and I believe a lot of it is trial and error. I am not afraid to make mistakes because I learn new things (and who knows, a mistake could lead to a real tasty dish!). You shouldn't be afraid to keep trying or to practice, as with everything else in life. How will you succeed if you just want to give up every time you fail?
2 people like this
@banban (601)
• China
6 Oct 10
Yeah, I agree with you, nicococo. And thanks. Well, I guess I need to take up the courage and try it again until I'm satisfied.
@unique16 (1531)
• United States
6 Oct 10
Hello banban, I would try it again when I have succeed at other dishes. There is nothign wrong in failing. Sometimes we learn more when we fail then when we got it right. Did you know where you went wrong? That is half the battle is know. Then you can do the receipe again and just go slower and make you do not repeat the same mistake. If the dinner did not turn out right I buy Pizza the saver of all dinners. (lol) Do not worry you will get better over time and practice just like a instrument. Thanks and have a great day! Sincerely Unique16
@kharlav (1669)
• Philippines
6 Oct 10
If it does not taste that bad then it's okay. I still eat it or let my family eat it.. Failure is a part of learning so dont give up. I often experience that. Not unless it really tastes so yucky then i'll eat it.
1 person likes this
@banban (601)
• China
6 Oct 10
Thanks, kharlav. I find out that it's just hard for me to try it again.
@buddhis (58)
• China
7 Oct 10
you should not give up.i also cooked dishs for myself for a while. it was so terrible that no one would want a try when the first time i cooked.and it was very busy for me to season.i can't handle it myself.what i mean is that i need someone to help me with the dish.or the dish might be overcooked.that happens many times in my cooking study.gradually it will be better.practice makes perfect.what you need to do is to try it agian and again.you will find your dishs are quite delicious one day.
1 person likes this
@banban (601)
• China
7 Oct 10
Thanks. It helps me. :) I wish someday I will make the dish right.
@Jagokonte (123)
• Greece
6 Oct 10
Banban! Do not be afraid of failure is one of the biggest lessons of life which you must learn in the hard way. I don't know about other species but we humans are adaptive and we always improve if we pay attention and learn from our mistakes. Just tray again until you succeed.
@banban (601)
• China
7 Oct 10
Thanks, Jagokonte. Sometimes I am just so afraid of failure and have no such courage to give it a try again. But no failure, no progress. I get it.
@sona22 (1430)
• India
6 Oct 10
I am lucky enough that when I failed to prepare a new item tasty my husband don't tease me. He inspires me to do it correctly in the next time. And he also prepare a new item for us and he succeeded all time. I was surprised how he made it. One day my mother-in-law opened the secret. Almost all the items are new to me but not to him. my mother-in-law cocked the items and my husband learned from her.
@banban (601)
• China
7 Oct 10
:) I'm glad to hear that you have a good husband. Have a nice day.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
6 Oct 10
Hi. banban. I would just try it at a later time. I would not give up at all. I still would feel bad about it not coming out so well. I hope that you will be able to make your dish again. Don't feel so bad. Just try again and you will succeed eventually.
1 person likes this
@prinzcy (32326)
• Malaysia
15 Oct 10
Don't be sad, you can try the recipe again! This time, try adjusting it a bit. It can turn out perfectly! (even if it's not perfect, almost perfect is fine I guess) I learnt to cook mostly by myself so there's a lot of time where my food gone horribly wrong. Sometimes I add too much of this or less of that. But at least I learnt something. I'll try that recipe again and again until I feel satisfied. Of course the ones that you should feel sorry for is my family as they have to taste the food.
@his0yir (258)
12 Oct 10
I like to experiment new recipes too. But luckily, I don't need to cook for a family, so if I fail, I just hold my nose and eat it. Occasionally, I would try something new when guests are coming, but only if I am confident that it is going to be welcomed by people. Nevertheless, it happened once that I miscalculated the amount of butter I should put in the cake mixer and it just looked not going to be successful in the oven, and it was too late to make another one since my friends had arrived. It was a bit embarrassing but they all came into the kitchen to help to 'save' the cake. So the cake came out ok at the end. Of course, an over-greasy cake is what we sometimes laugh about in our conversation.
1 person likes this
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
6 Oct 10
I am disappointed when a new dish does not work out for me. i try not to let it discourage me though. i likew to keep trying until i am pleased with the result. if i am pleased, then others can be also.
@kodukodu84 (1569)
• Malaysia
7 Oct 10
There was one time I tried cooking a new dish, but before I even finished cooking it, it has already turned into something that wasn't really good to eat. I was so upset because I was very hungry at the same time. I stopped doing the cooking, I was sulking with my own failure lol. Then half an hour later, I went back to the kitchen then cooked an instant Maggie noodles for me to eat haha!
@banban (601)
• China
7 Oct 10
Yeah, I feel upset too. But, I still enjoy it. I really want my cooking skills are good. :) Well, I know, it need more and more practise.
• India
6 Oct 10
don't feel bad. if it is a vegetarian dish. then try the following steps in the final stage. (1) non-masala item:- Take Gram Dhall and coriander seeds. roast it without oil and grind it to powder. (2) Masala item:- if you are adding Onions, Garlic etc., to your dish, then take fennel,cinnamon, cloves , coriander seeds, cardomom pod - 1,pineapple flower - 2 petals, roast it without oil and make a powder. I'm using it regularly. it is very nice. if anything goes wrong, say more salt, or consistency, i will manage with the above 2 powders. try is and share your opinions
• United States
9 Oct 10
I enjoy trying new recipes and try to do at least three new ones a week. I've been fortunate in that most of them turn out well... but when there's one that doesn't taste so great, we know it's dinner and we eat it. It never stops me from wanting to try other new recipes, no. I'll never try the same thing twice, though, if it didn't turn out well the first time. I just toss the recipe if that happens so I don't mistakenly make it again in the future.
@Fishmomma (11378)
• United States
7 Oct 10
I try to figure out why it doesn't taste good, as it could simply be changing the amount of one ingredient. If its not possible to fix the dish for that meal, then I just take out tv dinners. Its important to be willing to try new dishes and realize they all won't be successful.
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
9 Oct 10
Hi, Always bear in mind...learn from your failure. There is nothing "always get success in the first step", Only failure will make a person to stay stronger and learn to be even better. And it same goes to me. Sometimes, I wanna to cook some new dishes for my husband to try out,but then the outcome is not that good and I got my husband's comments from the dishes I cook. Ok..I got his comment and I tried to rectify from my mistake and I can cook better in future.
• United States
7 Oct 10
Matters how bad I mess it up. If it is something I just have to tweak then I will. If it was just beyond my skills I never used to but lately I realized that I have come far enough along to try a few of them.
@aurel83 (102)
• United States
7 Oct 10
well i know how you feel. it must be a sad thing to be failure in trying a new dish. but to me, don;t give up. by having failure in the first or second time will give you a lesson how to make it taste better from time to time... you ll be an expert at last if you keep trying...
@ree_yah (462)
• Philippines
7 Oct 10
me... well i always try to do it my way eheheh i always make a way to make it taste good. :)
• Philippines
7 Oct 10
for me,, i think i need to study more in cooking so that in the time if i will cook ,, the dish i cooked will be perfect one,......,. and maybe i should ask some techniques of my mother ,,..,,,.